Where did all the ramen go?
by Kajune
Summary: When his favorite dish - ramen - suddenly vanishes from the world, Naruto is sent into a panicked state, eager to find where or how his beloved noddles ended up nowhere, and why.


**Title** : Where did all the ramen go?

**Disclaimer** : I do not own any of the Characters of Naruto.

**Genre** : Mystery / Tragedy

**Warning** : OOCness.

**Summary** : When his favorite dish - ramen - suddenly vanishes from the world, Naruto is sent into a panicked state, eager to find where or how his beloved noddles ended up nowhere, and why.

* * *

**Uzumaki Naruto's Birthday Story**

* * *

Naruto always liked the sweet sogginess of his ramen, and wouldn't really mind spending an eternity eating it. There rarely has been a day when he doesn't visit the shopkeeper for a bowl of delicious ramen, unless he can't afford it; even then, he always finds a way.

Until now...

With his precious Gama-chan as full as it can be, all for the sake of allowing Naruto to buy as many bowls of ramen as he wants, the shop is suddenly shut closed, its entrance sealed and with no one present. After having starred at it in awe for who knows how long, Naruto takes off for nearby shops that might sell ramen.

Much to his surprise, all shopkeepers admit to having no stock on ramen, as if the entire thing had gone completely.

"Noo~~!"

This leaves Naruto in utter dread, and with the citizens fully aware of his passion, they all feel sympathetic. Of course, emotions alone cannot undo this strange phenomenon. No friend maybe able to undo what this has been called 'a nightmare' by Naruto.

As another attempt, Naruto takes the term seriously and begins pinching and punching himself, and while nearby people try to prevent his actions, he soon comes to realize that this maybe..._reality_.

Getting to his feet, Naruto continues to run and search, until he ends up on both ends of the town only to find nothing. It is as if ramen has just disappeared; once existing, but no longer. In a last attempt however, without informing his friends, Naruto sets out to find it in the other lands, just as Sakura and Kakashi pick up on his actions.

High above, is someone watching.

* * *

Naruto's feet continue eagerly towards whatever land he can think of that may sell some ramen. He isn't starving, but being without his favorite dish seems to equal being without a beating heart.

Exaggerating, indeed.

Nevertheless, Naruto manages to dash his way through all sorts of climates, soon reaching at least 2 lands within less than a couple of hours, only to find that they too have lost their supply of ramen. Still not losing hope, Naruto keeps up running, right through even a sandstorm and past many enemies just so he can finally...

...give up.

With Gaara, head of the Land of Wind's Sunagakure, standing right before him in pity, his siblings not far behind him, Naruto sits upon his knees long exhausted, too exhausted to even get back up and walk. Having already used up energy stored from a previous meal, there isn't much left in Naruto now, besides a very, very, broken heart.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this but we seriously do not have what you're looking for." Gaara repeats, in an almost 'cold' tone, not that it is how he feels; in fact, he wouldn't mind them switching places for his friend's sake.

"You probably should go look elsewhere, or maybe even wait a few more days. Maybe it'll come back then." Kankuro says, in an almost uninterested manner, since he very much finds this extreme hunt for a particular meal a bit silly.

His sister couldn't agree much less.

With a few other villages looking, watching as a non-local sits as if bowing to the Kazekage, for reasons they cannot tell, Naruto's mind tries hard to think of the cause, as to why this has happened. Of course, since it seems like such a miracle or something very impossible, a boy of his brains finds it hard to understand the situation. All he can do is hunger for the one thing he strangely can't have.

He doesn't want to wait, he doesn't want to surrender, but what else can he do? The only option is to either have something else to eat or simply starve the death, the latter being an option no one else will agree to.

As Naruto's stomach growls, as if to say how upset it has become, Kankuro then thinks up of something.

"Maybe this is some sort of prank?" He says, rubbing his head. "Maybe someone's trying to get at you for something?"

"That's right. I mean, you do have a lot of enemies." Temari adds.

Gaara nods to his siblings' opinions, and without saying, he eyes Naruto with intent, as if hoping the blonde will just _feel_ that what the two of them have just heard may very much be the case, and that sitting here won't solve anything.

He does notice, but, "I can't move..." he states.

Just as these helpless words come out, a few villagers spot 2 more outsiders coming over, at high speed, and neither look like a threat, rather, a few recognize them as friends.

"Naruto-!"

A girl's voice catches the attention of the 4, and so the depressed Naruto turns round in shock to see Sakura and Kakashi running towards him, both looking worried (in their own ways). Maybe there is hope in finding the ramen.

"You left the village so suddenly." Sakura says, as she towers over Naruto, but not in a threatening manner. "Come on, we'll help you find it."

Instantly glad upon hearing such words, Naruto produces a smile.

"R~right, Sakura-chan."

* * *

The 3, after having resumed a desperate search for something rather trivial, right after having successfully forced down some food into Naruto's stomach for energy, they too end up draining themselves of hope.

They've been to newer places, and all those places claim that they cannot find what they also don't know why has disappeared. It really is as if ramen never existed before, but everyone still has memories of it, knows what it is but recently lost contact with it. Feeling totally exhausted, Sakura leans forward, places her hands upon her knees, and pants heavily, as sweat drips down upon the grassland they have arrived at.

Neither she nor Kakashi thought this was going to be an easy task, but they only complied to the thought of granting assistance out of care for Naruto. As crazy as his plans can be, or as sensible as they can also be, both still feel the need to simply help out such a noble person whenever possible.

What else are friends and allies for?

However, with their search leading to nothing, not even a shred of evidence or a tiny clue, both are starting to feel that their kindness is a big too overgrown. Naruto himself, once again out of energy, is barely walking right as he continues to chant the words 'ramen' as he appears almost lifeless.

More scary-looking than pitiful too.

Kakashi and Sakura look back at their companion for a while, before gazing at each other. Might as well tell him now.

With their last bit of energy, do the two stand up straight, turn round, and approach Naruto with self-disappointed looks. Sakura, in a soft and sorry tone, begins to speak.

"Naruto-kun. I'm sorry but, we can't-"

As she feared, as they both feared, Naruto is no longer willing to accept any defeat, and in a (hopefully) last attempt, he furiously shakes his head in denial and dashes off past them, draining himself further of what he no longer has. Instead, he forces it out of another source, one which isn't very pleased.

_"Naruto, you idiot. What do you think you're doing?"_ The Kyuubi, named Kurama, angrily asks.

A nice nap is what he had been having for a long while now, and suddenly does he wake up to find his host lacking energy, positiveness and instead bearing a strange motive he cannot understand. A hunt for ramen? What is that?

"Ramen, ramen, ramen..."

As if lost to obsession or despair itself, Naruto merely chants those words, ignoring even Kurama entirely. Although he has no intent in participating in this charade, by bearing the same hope as Sakura, that after one more try the hope will finally end within the blonde, Kurama consents to having his chakra taken, as long as it keeps Naruto alive to finally realize his...mistakes.

And so, Kurama goes back to sleep.

"Ramen, ramen, ramen..." Naruto pants.

* * *

His legs worn out beyond their limit, his body fully soaked in his own sweat, and even the burrowed chakra borrowed beyond acceptable (nearly draining Kurama empty), Naruto, after having run into all but one village, finally collapses.

Though he remains awake.

Not once in his life has he felt so hungry, so empty, and so sad. Never has he ever felt this lost, this unlucky, and this close to death.

His darkened eyes, after a while, finally begin to close, possibly to the afterlife.

He has...truly...give up.

_Silence..._

_Silence..._

_Silence..._

"Hahaha~"

A laugh. Suddenly, from somewhere, the sound of laughter reaches his ears. His eyes were about to go shut, until such a sound, which sounded like a mock, got to him. Lifting his head up, slowly, Naruto gazes up with a pale expression, up the building right before him. Upon the roof, he sees a red-haired, and...

"YOU!" He shouts.

Standing next to the sitting red-haired, is a proud-looking, and smiling, is Deidara.

He can't still be mad for having lost all his money on a bet with him, having been considered far less handsome than himself, having had his birthday ignored due to Naruto's upcoming...

Wait. Today _is_ October 10th.

Only able to keep his head up by pressing his jaw into the ground, Naruto glares angrily at the blonde-haired Akatsuki member, who is surely the mastermind behind this. Recently, it has been no one besides him whose nerves Naruto had gotten on.

How silly of him to forget, or more likely, disregard as being the cause of his missing ramen. Deidara is known best for his explosives, and not really anything else. So how could he...

Before he could gather the will to ask, to find out directly from the one's responsible, dozens of puppets emerge from behind the tower, each carrying 4 packs of ramen as they all go past Naruto. It shocks him.

Looking back up at the pair, he can see the red-haired's left fingers moving. Remembering the time Sakura and even Kankuro explained puppeteer more clearly, Naruto realizes that the disappearance itself was done by the red-haired.

"Congratulations, for making it here alive!" Deidara loudly announces. "As a reward, we shall return your precious ramen to their rightful places."

"It'll take days before I'm fully done." Sasori mutters to his companion.

"I don't care." Deidara happily mutters back, both speaking quietly enough for Naruto not to hear. Glancing back at his victim, Deidara resumes shouting. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JINCHURIKI~!"

As more and more puppets continue to emerge, all controlled by one puppeteer, Naruto continues to helplessly glare at his rival. What a crazy thing to do, and yet, it was the perfect plan. Naruto indeed suffered, so much even his friends did. He felt despair, loss and agony, and all was felt on his precious birthday.

"How...dare...you...!" He growls.

Unfortunately, with even Kurama exhausted by him, and no one around to feed him, Naruto is left to just agonizingly watch his favorite dish be taken away, all to the other lands which he had already visited. It almost seems like a waste, assuming Deidara was going to return them anyway. Thinking again, it's clear that he wouldn't of.

Realizing defeat, and how much of a sore loser Deidara can be, Naruto truly, finally and once-and-for-all, gives up.

He surrenders.

'Don't worry, Naruto. I hate him too." Kurama says, and everytime he says such a thing, it always means, he'll personally assist in getting the enemy back.

"Not right now, Kurama. Please...just let me sleep."

Since it _is_ his birthday, Kurama complies.

* * *

**Owari**


End file.
